Unveiling the Fluorination Pathway of Ruddlesden-Popper Oxyfluorides: A Comprehensive X-ray and Neutron Diffraction Study.

Ruddlesden-Popper oxyfluorides exhibit unique properties, but their synthesis is often hindered by low thermodynamic stability. To overcome this challenge, understanding the formation mechanism of these materials is crucial for optimizing the reaction conditions and accessing new products. This study presents an in-depth investigation of the fluorination reaction of LaNiO with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), targeting the oxyfluorides LaNiOF and LaNiOF, which exhibit distinct structural distortions. X-ray diffraction experiments, performed on a laboratory diffractometer, revealed the presence of four distinct reaction intermediates. The crystal structures of these intermediates were further elucidated through X-ray and neutron powder diffraction experiments, complemented by neutron powder diffraction data obtained using a setup featuring a low-background cell made from single-crystalline sapphire. F MAS NMR spectroscopy was employed to localize the fluoride ions and to track the consumption of PVDF. By systematically optimizing reaction conditions, we successfully obtained both oxyfluorides and quantified the phase evolution of all intermediates through extensive Rietveld refinements, yielding the following reaction steps: LaNiO (4/) → Inter#1 () → Inter#2 (, with increased orthorhombic distortion) → Inter#3 (2/) → LaNiOF (). In the presence of 50% excess PVDF, LaNiOF is not obtained from Inter#3 and the reaction instead progresses via Inter#4 (4/) to LaNiOF (4/, with a larger unit cell). This study demonstrates the power of laboratory XRD experiments in elucidating complex fluorination reaction mechanisms, enabling the synthesis of new oxyfluorides with interesting physical properties. The approach represents a significant advancement over traditional trial-and-error methods, which are still prevalent in solid-state synthesis.